Well screen



Mair-ch 22, 1938. J. o. TO'W 2,111,680

' WELL SCREEN Filed April 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l JJfSaJ' ab'aadc [ENZ'DR March 22, 1938. W 2,111,680

WELL S GREEN Filed April 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fm. 6. F14. 7.

Q INVENTOR.

atenteoi at.

of one-half to Robert H. Sod,

@alif.

i ttier,

Application April 26, 1937, Serial No. 13%,959

6 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in well screens inwhich a tubular well casing member is provided with suitable screening openings that allow the passage of fluids from outside the casing member to the interior of the same and prevent the passage of solid particles; and the objects of the improvements are, first to provide a strong, durable and efficient screening casing member in one piece; and second to provide a construction that makes possible the use of a narrow groove or of narrow grooves that will not clog and that will be economical to make.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the screen with V the tubular wall shown in longitudinal section.

Figure 2 shows an end view with a portion of the tubular wall in section.

Figure 3 illustrates a longitudinal section of the tubular wall and shows a third form of construction of the screening means.

Figure 5 shows the first step of a method for making the form of the article illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 6 shows the second step and Figure 7 the third and final step of the same method.

Figure 8 shows the first step of the method for making the form of the article shown in Figure 4; and Figure 9 shows in enlargement the form shown in Figure 4.

Figures 10, 11, and 12 illustrate the first, second, and third steps respectively of the method for making the form of the article shown in Figure 8.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2 the construction is as follows:

The tubular casing member l-ordinarily of steelhas. formed in its exterior the spiral grooves 2 and 5 in a manner of a double thread. Holes, one of which is shown at 4, are made to communicate between the groove 2 and the interior of the tubular casing. The groove walls 3 and 3a are finally bent as shown at 3b.and 30 to form the narrow passage-2a. This passage 2a allows fluids to pass inwardly but.holds back solid particles such as sand. After passing through the narrow passage 2a the fluid is free to niove between the inwardly diverging walls 3b and 3c and through the holes 4 to the interior of the tubular casing.

A method for making is shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7' in which a forming tool A forms the groove 2 and the tool B forms the groove 5 as the first step, the tubular material having been chucked ill. 166-5) win a lathe with the forming tools A and B mounted on the tool carriage thereof. Or the forming tools in multiple may be carried in a threading die head. The second step is shown in Figure 6 in which the drill C perforates the tubular member as at t.

For economy, several drills should be used in a multiple press, and the threaded tubular member may be fed through a suitable nut carried by the press frame. The third and last step is shown in Figure 7, in which the groove walls shown at 3 and 3a in Figures 5 and 6 in the form. of ribs, are vbent toward one another as at 3b and 30 to partly close the groove 2 Figure 6, as shown at 2a Figure 7. The bending tool may be in the form of a grooved roller D held against the rotating work,

- or bending rollers may be mounted in a die head and the tubular member threaded through the same.

In the alternate construction shown in Figure 3, the tubular member to has the spiral groove 22; formed in its exterior with holes as at ta leading to the interior.

The narrow passage 20 is formed by pressing a rolling tool against the pipe while turning so as to form the groove shown at t and Ba.

A method for making this alternate construction is shown in Figures 10, 11, and 12 in first, second and third steps respectively and in which a forming tool F forms the spiral groove 2b, leaving the spiral rib i, as the first step; the drill C perforates the tubular member la. as at ta in the second step; and the grooving roller G grooves the rib I as shown at 6, thus partly closing the groove 2!: as shown at 20, as the third step. The tool F and roller G may be mounted on the tool carriage of a lathe or carried by die heads.

A third form of construction is'shown in Figure 4 in which the narrow passage 2d has parallel sides for a distance, to better resist Wear. It will be seen that this can be accomplished by proper shaping of the groove walls before bending.

The means for producing this third form is shown in Figure 8 inwhich the forming tool E,

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a well screen, a tubular member with a pair of ribs tooled, exteriorly thereon of a portion of the material thereof and continuously integral therewith, the said ribs being bent toward one another to form a groove of inwardlyincreasing width, the said tubular member having perforations communicating between the interior thereof and the groove, all substantially as described.

2. Ina well screen, a tubular member with a pair of spiral. ribs tooled exteriorly thereon of a. portion of the material thereof and continuously integral therewith, the said ribs being bent toward oneanother to form a groove of inwardly increasing width, the'said tubular member having perforations communicating between the interior thereof and the groove, all substantially as de scribed.

3. In a well screen, a tubular member with a pair of annular ribs tooled exteriorly thereon of a portion of the material thereof and continuously integral therewith, the said ribs being bent toward one another to form a groove of inwardly increasing width, the said tubular member having perforations communicating between the interior thereof and the groove, all substantially as described.

4. In a well screen, a tubular member with a pair of ribs tooled exteriorly thereon of a portion of the material thereof and continuously integral therewith, the said ribs being bent toward anreeo one another to form a groove of inwardly increasing width in its inner portion, the ribs being so shaped as to form substantially parallel sides to the outer portion of the groove, the said tubular member having perforations communicating between the interior thereof and the groove, all substantially as described.

5. In a well screen, a tubular member with a pair of spiral ribs tooled exteriorly thereon of a portion of the material thereof and continuously integral therewith, the said ribs being bent toward one another to form a groove of inwardly increasing width in its inner portion, the ribs being so shaped as to form substantially parallel sides to the outer portion of the groove, the said tubular member having perforations communicating between the interior thereof and the groove, all substantially as described.

6. In a well screen, a tubular member with a pair of annular ribs tooled exteriorly thereon of a portion of the material thereo'frand continuously integral therewith, the said ribs being bent toward one another to form a groove of inwardly increasing width in its inner portion, the ribs being so shaped as to form substantially parallel sides to the outer portion of the groove, the above said tubular member having perforations communicating between the interior thereof and the groove, all substantially as described.

- JAMES O. TOW. 

